The eyewear includes a variety of eyeglasses, sunglasses, protective work glasses and sports goggles. The eyewear generally comprises an eyewear structure defining a pair of openings, and a pair of lenses, which are fitted there into openings and secured by the eyewear structure. The eyewear may also comprise other auxiliary components, such as nose-pads, clip-on sunshades and even electronic components, such as digital music players. In some cases the lenses can be prescription lenses for vision enhancement and correction, and in other cases the purpose of lenses can be to provide protection from the sun and irradiation. It is also common to perceive the eyewear, whether with or without corrective lenses, as a fashion item. As such, eyewear is also designed to provide pleasing appearances and aesthetics, or to achieve a combination of the above-mentioned functions.
Conventional eyewear structures typically include a pair of rims for holding the lenses, a bridge for connecting the rims, and a pair of temples (or ear stems) attached to the rims via a hinge mechanism. A typical hinge mechanism typically includes interlocking pieces on the rim and on the temple, and a fastener, such as a screw, to secure the interlocking pieces on the rim and temple together. Despite many improvements made to the hinge mechanisms, they are prone to mechanical failure. It is quite common for the binge fasteners to become loose during normal wear, resulting in the failure of eyewear structure. Furthermore, conventional hinge mechanisms, or their alternates, typically decrease the strength and structural integrity of eyewear structure, making them susceptible to breakage, twisting, or deformation. They are also more costly to manufacture.
In conventional eyewear, the lenses are generally secured to the rims by various fasteners, such as screws, bolts, and nuts. Other mechanisms, such as strings knotted to rims, are also utilized to secure the lenses onto the opening of rim. Similar problems can also be observed in this respect. The screws or fasteners become loose during normal wear, resulting in the failure of eyewear structure and/or falling off of the lenses. Finally, the use of fasteners, such as screws and bolts, can greatly degrade the pleasing appearance and aesthetics of eyewear, making their use much less desirable.
Accordingly, there exists a need for eyewear structures with no or minimal use of fasteners. There is also a need to develop new eyewear structures, which can provide various eyewear functions with greater aesthetics, high structural integrity and durability.